DEVELOPMENTAL CORE The developmental core contains our plans for research during the five years of the U54. Initially, we request funds to support five pilot projects and two full proposals. Each pilot and full project is led by collaborators from NMSU and FHCRC. The process by which the projects were proposed and approved was rigorous and painstaking. In the summer of 2005, the Pis of the U56 grant issued a call for proposals. This call had several objectives, including: Building the cancer research infrastructure at NMSU; Improving the effectiveness of FHCRC to address cancer disparities among the underserved; Creating stable, long-term collaborative relationships between NMSU and FHCRC in cancer training and education; and Exporting successful models and approaches to other NCI entities. From that call for proposals, we received 9 pilot applications and 2 full proposals. After review by an internal study section of experts in the fields of the various proposals and review by our PSC, the number of proposalsselected for the U54 application was reduced to four pilots and one full proposal. Because of a new NCI policy! that precluded the simultaneous funding of a U56 and U54, we were forced to wait another year before submitting our U54 application. This allowed us sufficient time to issue another call for proposals in summer of 2006. It also allowed for the proposals that had previously been approved to progress; thus one of the initial pilot proposals, "Genetic analysis of Egfr signaling and cell adhesion," Curtiss (NMSU) and Edgar (FHCRC), progressed enough to be proposed as a full proposal for the U54 during the latest round. Two proposals from 2005, one in education and one in undergraduate training, found they had much in common and united their efforts to become one full proposal. Two new pilot cancer research proposals were submitted. The proposals were again reviewed by an internal study section of expects. The comments were given back to proposers who then prepared a presentation to a joint meeting of NMSU, FHCRC, and the collaboration's PSC in Las Cruces, NM at the NMSU campus. After much discussion, a final package was prepared that addressed the three objectives stated earlier in this proposal. Cancer research excellence is sought in three pilot proposals: i) Synthesis of new ligands for the characterization of siderophore-ExFABP interactions, Del Valle (NMSU) and Strong (FHCRC) ii) How does metabolic rate affect age-induced genomic instability? Van Voorhies (NMSU) and Gottschling (FHCRC) iii) Discovery of gene regulatory networks controlling cell cycle exit in drosophila, using the discrete dynamic system model, Song (NMSU) and Edgar (FHCRC) In addition, an outstanding cancer research full proposal is proposed: Genetic analysis of Egfr signaling and cell adhesion, Curtiss (NMSU) and Edgar (FHCRC) Cancer training and education is delivered through a pilot proposal that focuses on training of graduate students from both NMSU and FHCRC, expanding the exposure of FHCRC students to populations suffering health disparities and NMSU students to ongoing cancer research and education: Graduate training in cancer research and health disparities, O'Connell and Vilchis-Licon (NMSU) and Linial and Schwartz (FHCRC) A full undergraduate and post-baccalaureate program addressed four major areas including education in cancer research, an undergraduate training program, a post-baccalaureate training program, and a postdoctoral fellow teaching opportunity: Undergraduate training and education program in cancer, O'Connell and Shuster (NMSU) and Coronado and Peterson (FHCRC) Finally, an outreach pilot program utilizes the strong promotora program in New Mexico as it seeks to assess the effectiveness of promotoras in delivering cervical cancer screening information to border women: Promotora outreach for cervical cancer screening, Vilchis-Licon (NMSU) and Thompson (FHCRC)